


How to Care for Your Brothers Lamia (Because He’s an Idiot and Doesn’t Know How To)

by Anonymous



Category: Undertale
Genre: Abuse, Dehumanization, Dogfighting, Double Penetration, Lamia, M/M, Oviposition, Shock Collars, Size Difference
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-04
Updated: 2020-06-05
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:08:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,818
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24550597
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: Red’s always wanted to get himself a lamia. Hanging out at the local lamia dogfighting scene doesn’t help. They are just so cool and tough and-!Edge wouldn’t approve but… well, he’s never gonna find out, is he?[He finds out. Of course hefinds out.How was he supposed to miss the giant snake living in their house?!]Posted Anonymously because this chapter was written a long time ago and while Iwantto finish this, I’m not sure I will. Open to anyone to continue, but I’d like to get back to it one day, so it’s not up for adoption.
Relationships: Papyrus/Papyrus, spicyBBQ
Comments: 2
Kudos: 45
Collections: Anonymous





	How to Care for Your Brothers Lamia (Because He’s an Idiot and Doesn’t Know How To)

Red strolled into the dimly lit pet shop in the seedy part of downtown. The bells taped haphazardly to the door with scotch tape clattered weakly, threatening to drop right off as the door slammed shut behind him. Word on the street—rumors rambled from a friend of a friend of a guy he’d gotten smashed with at Grillby’s—was that this was The Place—full caps required—to go to get started on his newest hobby.

The shopkeep was a cat monster, leaning against a scratched up glass counter in front of a rundown cash register. She was somewhere between her sixth and seventh life if he was being generous, her eyes barely even flickered away from the magazine she was reading. 

“What’cha want?” she asked with the sort of enthusiasm usually reserved for wet newspaper, tail flicking, telling him all he needed to know about how much she appreciated the interruption. 

“got any lamias?” he asked, not bothering with any pleasantries. 

Returning to the magazine, she flicked one clawed finger towards the display near the register. He strolled over, already knowing it wasn’t what he was looking for. Inside, eight little lamias stopped their slithering to peer up at him with innocent, curious expressions. There was a couple of different species, and they ranged from a couple of inches to a max of about two feet long. 

“heh, cute.” He let his head roll back towards her. “yeah, i’m lookin’ for something a little… bigger.”

Eyes flicked back up, cuttingly sharp, although the rest of her remained calm and relaxed. “How big we talking?” 

He grinned with a shrug. The shop wasn’t that big. It couldn’t fit more than three customers without making people tuck nervous hands over their wallet, but it sure was attached to a pretty big building. With no other store on the block. Funny that. 

“bigger’n me, anyways. shouldn’t be a _tall_ order.” He winked. 

She looked him up and down, expression giving nothing away. “Sorry, hun. Ya got the wrong place. Larger breeds are protected by law and crap. Can’t sell ‘em domestic.” 

“as such-“ Red said, reaching into his jacket to flash a very pretty stack of cash he’d come into possession of a little less-than-legally. “-i understand they’re a little more expensive.” 

Whether he’d passed her personal assessment of his character or the money had spoken to her on a spiritual level was unclear, but her expression immediately shifted to something predatory. A grin found its place as she stood up straight, finally donning the proper guize of customer-service.

”Ah!” She crooned, stepping around the counter. She swiftly circled around him to lock the door, before ushering him towards the curtain in the back of the room. “Why didn’t you say so, good sir? I’m sure we can find something that better suits your needs. Why don’t we see if one of our new arrivals work better for you, hm?” 

She led him into a small office space, cluttered with a desk overflowing with papers, then past it to another locked door which she opened with a little flourish, her tail stretched out behind her, the very tip twitching. 

The dark room was packed. Large cages lined each wall and filled the center, forming twisting little pathways deeper into the room. Most towered over them, although plenty were closer to the size of large kennels, and even a couple that were on the smaller size. 

Red grinned widely as the chorus of hisses and snarls that followed when the woman snapping on the heavy lights overhead. They were industrial looking, more suited to an old warehouse then a pet store, but the smell was fitting. He could ignore it pretty easy, but he could almost feel sympathy for the shop owner who scrunched up her sensitive nose and waved him forward with a fictitious wide smile. 

“Please. Feel free to look around, see who catches your attention. They are all available… as long as you can afford them.” She clasped her hands together sweetly. “I would keep your fingers to yourself however. Many of them can be… temperamental.” 

“‘m lookin’ for temperamental,” he muttered, starting forward. 

There were quite a few different creatures in the back, but Red kept his attentions honed on the lamias. Compared to the ones up front, this group had a much larger variety of species, ranging to just about every type he’d ever heard of. Size-wise, they were all significant, even the smallest of them matching the general standing size of an adult, not even counting the remaining length of their tails that dragged on the floor. 

Dark eyes watched him as he passed, some hissing and one even reaching out to take a swipe at him in a clear but unnecessary threat. He was looking for a fighter, sure, but not a _stupid_ one. Not something dull enough to think it was going to get anything out of barking at him from inside a cell. Besides, the owner was right. He was looking for something that called out to him, something specific… 

And he found it. 

Tucked away in the back corner, cage noticeably pulled out of arm range (and then some) from any other one, was a massive skeleton lamia. 

“whoa…” he breathed. 

Danger flared in otherwise empty sockets, a powerful orange ecto-tail spilling into every corner of it’s too-small prison, the thick flesh bulging out from where they were forced tight against the bars. He couldn’t help noticing the other’s artificial fangs, clearly implemented for the intimidation factor. 

He scratched at his own. Wasn’t there a thing about that? Some nonsense about pets looking like their owners? 

The beast was littered with scars, sturdy bones clearly barring the results of numerous battles. Damaged, but not broken. A fighter. Not that he couldn’t see that from the way the creature held itself, watching his every movement. 

“I thought this one might catch your attention,” The shopkeep purred, sweeping up behind him. Although it tapered off as she held up her arm to show off the bandaging like Red hadn’t noticed it when he’d first walked in. “...Might not be able to recommend this one though…” 

“i’ll take ‘em,” Red replied and the woman laughed. 

“Let’s see if he responds to you first.” She dug around her inventory before pulling out a little gray device with a single button on it. Red didn’t need an explanation as she handed it to him. He’d hung around the other players enough to know it was linked to the heavy-duty shock collar locked in place around the lamia’s neck. He fingered the button lightly as the shopkeep got the cage open. 

The second it was unlatched, the skeletal creature burst out of the confinement, knocking the door wide and the shopkeep to the ground. It lunged for Red, huge sharp teeth aiming to snap right through his neck.

Red easily side-stepped with the help of a little shortcut, fully impressed with the creature's speed and power. Waiting for just the right moment to strike. Firmly, he sank his thumb into the dainty red button. 

The lamia shrieked. It’s body hit the floor with a tremendous thud, kicking up a cloud of dust. It writhed in pain, tail thrashing wildly before pulling into a protective curl as it clawed at its neck. 

Red lazily rolled his finger over the button, holding it a good bit longer than necessary, before letting go. The lamia collapsed, panting hard. Grumbling, the shopkeep brushed herself off, getting unsteadily back to her feet. 

Red made his way around to squat down in front of the fallen beast. It pulled it’s tail even tighter, glaring at him in disdain.

“hey there pal.” He grinned as sockets narrowed further. “ya get the situation yer in, don’t cha? not a lot of wiggle room ta be picky. unless ya wanna be stuck here the rest of yer life?” He motioned back to the small cage and the other followed the gesture, expression clouding over. “i can get ya out of here, but it’s not gonna be for free, yeah? ‘m lookin for someone ta win me a couple of fights and ya seem like a pretty good candidate.”

The look he received was bitter and full of loathing, but the lamia stayed curled up, listening to his proposal. “i might not be a great option for ya, but it's gotta be better than this dump, right?” He waggled the remote. “and, o’course, ya can't be attackin me. but i think you’ll figure that out soon enough. so, what do ya say, pal?” 

The lamia snarled defiantly, but remained perfectly still. Red grinned. That was good enough in his books. He turned to the rather impressed shopkeep and proffered his stack of bills. 

“let’s call it official.”

. . . . .

Red popped open the covered cage in the back of his truck and dodged as his new pet struck, applying a libral dose of electricity to discipline him. Around him in the dark, underground parking area, monsters and humans alike chuckled at the display. 

“now, now. remember what we talked about.” Red ticked the remote at him as more cars pulled into the spots around them. “gotta play nice if ya don’t wanna go right back.” 

There was tight hiss, but the creature settled back. 

“good boy,” Red said, ignoring the others, people chatting in low voices as they unloaded their own cargo. His lamia wasn’t as unaffected, attention darting as it noticed the various lamias accompanying their owners further into the darkness. “i’m takin ya for a test run. show me yer gonna earn yer keep, huh. come on.” 

The lamia hesitated, glaring as Red started to walk away, but obediently followed when Red made a show of playing with the remote. 

The shoddy, makeshift stadium was unusually packed for a sign-up night. Not a lot of money on these sorts of matches, so Red was pretty pleased with the turn out. Looked like a lucky day to get to show off his new purchase. Twice the lamia tried to bolt, to lose him unsuccessfully in the chaos of the crowd. Four times he’d had to stop it from attacking someone, or another lamia, that got too close. 

“save it for the fight,” Red laughed, smacking the entrance fee on a counter in front of a gruff-looking bird monster. 

They swept the coins into their wing. “Name?” 

“red.” 

“I know your name, jackass,” he sneered, nodded back. “That fuckers name.”

Red glanced back. The lamia glared as Red looked it up and down, before turning back with a smirk. “ _slim._ ”

Their fight was early, all the better in Red’s opinion. No need to drag it out. Slim was shoved into the heavily fortified ring across from another lamia, this one a dog-type of some kind. It was another new-comer, had to be since it was noobie-night, but this sure wasn’t its first fight. The second the bell went off it lunged with whirlwind force. 

However the fight was over in seconds. 

Slim just barely managed to scramble out of the way, receiving barely a scratch on the way, before going straight for the throat. It slammed it’s opponent to the ground, easily overpowering it. It was quick to get the dog’s arms and tail down, smothered beneath the weight of its body before the other even recognized what had happened. 

The buzzer went off as soon as the opponent lost consciousness, but Red had to use the remote when Slim refused to release its death grip on the others neck. 

“looks like you were worth the price tag after all,” Red praised as Slim climbed out of the ring, snarling at him unappreciatively. Red didn’t mind it. Slim would learn the rules soon enough. Instead, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a pack of smokes. “although we’re gonna have to work on yer showmanship. here. a little reward for yer victory.” 

Slim eyed the box, snatching it up like he expected Red to yank it away. It didn’t seem to know exactly what they were, but it held them close, daring him to try and take them back. Red nodded satisfied. He’d heard through the grapevine that a harmless little addiction was a good way to help keep them in line and give them an extra incentive to win their fights. He was glad for the boatload of tips his friends had spilled over drinks. He had plenty of tricks to use. 

“ya won, so let's go get our prize.” He led his pet back towards the exit. He was a little miffed to miss out on the betting for such a packed night, but he’d never been able to participate while trying to keep an eye on Slim. “and then, i’ma get ya a burger. yer gonna love that.”

. . . . . 

The light in his room flickered on as Red ushered the snake inside. “hurry up. and stay _quiet-!_ ” 

If his brother caught them: he was so dead. Not only had Edge made it very clear that Red was not allowed to keep anything that breathed (jokes on him. Skeletons didn’t _need_ to breath), since he didn’t believe Red would take care of it, but there was no way that he would approve of getting an illegal dogfighting pet. 

“home sweet home for ya,” Red said, gesturing around the dirty room. “it’s not much, but hey.” Slim hissed suspiciously, sockets narrowing at the sight of the cage along the left wall. Red gave it a look. “what? after earlier, ya think i’m lettin ya have free-range? yer probably gonna kill me in my sleep.” 

The look he received told him Slim had been considering it. 

He snorted, unlocking the industrial-sized padlock and stepping out of the way. “look, it’s way bigger than the one ya had before.” It was. A good bit bigger. With all sorts of bedding and space to hord trinkets and toys like he knew lamias liked to do. He had made sure to set up a proper habitat, wanting his pet to be as comfortable as he could manage on his budget. Still, Slim just glared at it, and Red tsked. “well... course, i could always bring ya back. if that’s really what ya want.” 

That wasn’t entirely true. Fat chance he’d get any sort of refund from that kinda joint, and Slim had cost him a pretty penny. He might be able to turn on the charm, sweet talk the shopkeep into an exchange, but he knew she only manned the place. Any threats or intimidation would come back to bite him in the ass as soon as it got back to whoever she really worked for. He’d probably have to sell to one of his drinking buddies instead, and only for a fraction of what he’d spent. 

Slim hissed at the suggestion and reluctantly crept towards the opening, crawling in and curling up so Red could close the door behind him, snapping the lock into place. 

“there we are. cosy?” His pet glowered. “easy. look here.” He produced a greasy paper bag he’d picked up on the way home. “here’s that burger I promised ya.”

Slim snatched the package from him, ripping it open. Fries scattered everywhere and it barely got the paper off the burger before it was tearing into it. 

“oh, geez…” Red said, scratching his skull guiltily, thinking back on the sorry state of the backroom he’d gotten the snake from. He probably should have fed it first thing… “guess i... shoulda gotten ya a few more…” 

Slim ignored him, nearly choking down the first one to go after the second, grabbing a fistful of fries, not caring that they’d been on the floor. Red leaned against the barrs, watching him eat. 

“i’m gonna get ya some more. yer gonna have good food here, promise. always wanted a lamia… i’m gonna take real good care of ya, i got a book and everythin.” He hadn’t read it yet, but he’d get to it. He’d made sure to get all the information he needed from the other owners, every trick he could manage, all the proper ways to take care of them. He’d be a good pet owner. Maybe not the best, but he’d been good enough. Lamias were pretty low maintenance, always, or so he’d heard. 

Slim made a dismissive sound, far too busy with his food to listen to Red’s prattle. Red didn’t mind. He was excited to have his very own fighting pet. He already knew how to train him, and had all the basic supplies. Slim was strong and impressive and Red was already proud of his new pet. It was going to be a lot of fun to have him around. 

And as long as Edge never found out, everything was going to be fine! 

. . . . .

(Edge found out by the end of the week.)

**Author's Note:**

> This is an old story that I’m still really proud of. Even though I didn’t finish it, I still wanted to share it. 
> 
> Additional notes for where this story was going: This story was largely inspired by my time working at a pet store, and the number of people who would come in to get a pet, fully believing they were going to be good pet owners and then being SHOCKED by the amount of supplies they actually needed and how little they actually knew about taking care of a living creature. 
> 
> Red is one of these types of owners, and thinks he’s doing a good job. Edge, on the other hand, does some actual research and noooooo he is not. 
> 
> Also, I started this to delve (somewhat) into the issues skirted with most lamia fics about keeping them as “pets” when they are clearly fully intelligent? 
> 
> (I mean... not TOO deeply. ...as I have an unbearably ownership kink... but I wanted to explore! God I hope I get back to this one day...) 
> 
> Like I said: this is free to continue. And alter. No need to stick to the themes I was going to work with either... I don’t care. XD


End file.
